How to Write a Love Letter in Spanish

In this article, we will explain how to write a love letter in Spanish.

How to start a love letter in Spanish

A love letter should include the date

It might not seem essential now, but years from now, when your partner finds your love letter in their drawer again, seeing the date can make them feel nostalgic.

You should write the date on the top right of the paper. In Spanish, dates are formatted differently than in English. They follow the 'day + month + year' format and use the possessive “de” between the month and the year.

For example: “February 14th, 2022” would be formatted as “14 de febrero de 2022” in Spanish.

If you want to add the exact day of the week, you can add it at the start: “Lunes, 14 de febrero de 2022”.

Choosing the appropriate personal pronoun

As you probably know, Spanish has two different personal pronouns that correspond to the English pronoun “you.” These are “tú” and “usted.” The second is more formal.

The level of formality depends on how close your relationship with the receiver is. But there are exceptions.

For example, if you are declaring your romantic interest to a crush that you do not know very well, you may feel tempted to use the formal pronoun “usted”. But if your crush is roughly the same age as you, they will find it weird.

Spanish speakers do not usually use “usted” to talk to a person who is the same age or younger than them.

The pronoun “usted” is more commonly used among older people (when they don’t know each other very well) or when a young person talks to an elder or an authority figure.

So it’s probably not a good idea to address your crush as “usted” unless you’re a very respectful, formal elder writing a love letter in Spanish to a fellow elder.

Opening lines for a love letter in Spanish

As you will most likely be writing your Spanish love letter in an informal tone, we must explain how to start an informal letter in Spanish.

Many people who are learning Spanish use the words «estimado(a)» and «querido(a)» interchangeably. This is not technically wrong because it’s true that both these words can be translated as “dear”. They have pretty much the same meaning, and you can often find them listed as synonyms in Spanish dictionaries.

But in practice, «estimado(a)» is widely used in formal letters, and it would be weird to use it in a letter for a friend or family member —or, in this case, in a love letter for a romantic partner.

You can use «querido(a) + [the recipient’s name]». Spanish is a language with grammatical gender, and this affects the endings of adjectives. So if your recipient is male, you use «querido»; if they are female, you use the word «querida». For example: “querido Juan” or “querida María.”

You can add the word “mi” before “querido(a)” to write “My dear [Juan, María]”. Or use “amor” instead of their name to write “My dear love”. Or simply “mi amor” to say “my love”.

As you see, Spanish love letters have many more options for the opening line compared to informal letters. You can even start the letter using their pet nickname if you think that they would like it.

Just don’t try to translate your greeting (or anything, really) directly from English to Spanish —the translation might be correct but it might not sound natural in Spanish.

For example, «to my one true love» translates to «a mi único amor verdadero», which is correct in both grammar and meaning but it does not sound natural as an opening line for a Spanish love letter (and it could even imply that you have other “loves” out there!).

What to write in a love letter in Spanish

There is a lot more space to write things in a love letter, especially compared to a text message. In this section, we will look at some ideas of things that you could write between the opening line and the closing line.

You may want to explain to your lover why you’re writing this letter. Here are some examples:

Then, comes the part when you explain your thoughts and feelings about this special person in your life.

Of course, love letters are an extremely personal thing, for which the specifics are up to you and what you really want to say to him/her.

But here are some phrases that may come in handy:

Remembering past days with your significant other

At some point in your letter, you may want to remember some of your first and/or most cherished memories of your relationship with your partner.

If you haven’t thought about that, well, this is a great time to consider it, as memories in common are a normal, beautiful thing to share in love letters.

These “nostalgia-based” topics can help you write a more personalized love letter in Spanish, and your partner may feel especially praised that you remember such things, even if they’re little things like what they wore on your first date together.

So why not try it? Just focus on the happiest (or funniest) memories that include him or her.

What do you like most about your partner or your crush?

A love letter is a perfect opportunity to praise your partner (or your crush) in a unique way. Apart from describing your feelings about him or her, you can tell him or her exactly why you feel that way. Think about what you like most about them and write it in your Spanish love letter.

Here is some basic Spanish vocabulary to talk about a person’s physical traits:

These words are key when you’re saying that you like or love any physical trait of your significant other. The phrase should start with «Me gusta/me encanta tu…».

Remember that the difference between «me gusta» or «me encanta» is in the level of enthusiasm:

• «me gusta» is closer to the English verb “like”
• «me encanta» is more similar to “love”

But of course, everybody is more than a pretty face —your partner or crush is not the exception. What do you like about his or her personality? Here is some basic vocabulary to address some of the best personality traits that a special romantic partner can have:

How to finish a love letter in Spanish

Now that you’ve recapitulated the most special moments of your relationship with your partner, you may want to reaffirm your love for him/her. This is the moment to use phrases like:

• «siempre te amaré» (“I will always love you”)
• «espero que podamos pasar más tiempo juntos pronto»
  (“I hope we can spend more time together soon”)
• «te amo con toda mi alma/con todo mi corazón»
  (“I love you with my whole soul/heart”)

Typically, after you’ve kind of gone back to the beginning of the letter, you may want to write a closing line. Closing lines for love letters are similar to those on other kinds of informal letters, but generally, they have a more romantic touch.

For example, you can go for «con amor» (“with love”) which you could also use in a letter to your mom (it’s just another kind of love, right?) or you can be more romantic and write «con todo mi amor» (“with all my love”; in Spanish, the emphasis makes it more romantic)

Other possible closing lines for a Spanish love letter include:

• «por siempre tuyo/a» (“forever yours”)
• «te amo por siempre» (“loving you forever”)
• «gracias por todo» (“thank you for everything”)
• «muchos besos» (“many kisses”)

You can unleash your imagination. Don’t be shy. Consider writing a custom closing line for your Spanish love letter.

Although people say that French is the most romantic language in the world (see this guide on writing a love letter in French), Spanish has a lot of potential in that area, too —you just have to dare to try and be creative.